Page 36 of For the Love of Art

“Isla.”

“Hm?”

“Find. Us. Somewhere. To. Sit.”

My lips parted at his words.

“Okay.”

I shuffled through the crowd and saw a small table in the front corner of the cafe. It was beneath the large front window, which made it easy for me to people watch as I waited for Nathan.

My mind returned to how he had told me to find us somewhere to sit the second time. The words were so demanding and yet soft. I wondered if that was how he made it in the business world. Everyone knew the Manning family was old New York money, but money is easy to lose. Of course, Nathan has chosen to invest in art, which doesn’t tend to go up and down with the market. However, like fashion, artists come in and out of style. The real gamble was which artists to bring in, and it took a smart eye to find the next big one.

As my mind wandered, I watched people pass in front of the window. Something was calming about the steady stream of foot traffic. Then I saw it- a gleam of copper crossing the street. My heart raced, and sweat formed across my forehead. The woman in front of the hair moved, clearing my view. I let out a long breath as I realized it wasn’t Don.

“Here you are,” Nathan said, and I jumped in my seat. Nathan’s brows knit together. “You sure you’re alright?”

I nodded. “I’m fine. I just–” Concerned grey eyes were on me, and I realized I wasn’t sitting in a cafe with Lianne or Frankie.

“You just?”

My heart pounded as I scanned his chiseled features. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, patiently waiting for my response.

“I just felt a little overwhelmed.”

“From the job?”

I wanted to be honest with him. I needed to be honest with him. Even if we weren’t friends, just boss and employee, that was enough for him to earn my honesty. It didn’t matter, though. The words died on my tongue as soon as I opened my mouth.

Nathan nodded slowly in understanding. “It’s your divorce, isn’t it?”

I felt slightly horrified.

“You remembered.”

A teasing smile crossed Nathan’s lips.

“It’s hard to forget the panicked woman who ran out a back door and threw up.”

Embarrassment washed over me. I had hoped that he was the type not to remember what a woman said to him.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“If it helps, I missed the actual vomiting,” Nathan said, bringing his coffee to his lips. “And I’m not sorry. If it hadn’t happened, we never would have had a real conversation. You wouldn’t be here now.” He tipped his cup.

What did that mean?

I didn’t say anything more. I, too, drank my coffee.

Nathan stared out the window. Beams of noontime sun danced across his skin. In the light, I could see wisps of grey in the light brown hair along his temples and the stumble on his cheek. As we sat in silence, I felt eyes on us. At first, I thought it was in my head, but then, as I looked around, I realized it wasn’t. Not only were people openly staring at our table, they were murmuring to each other while they did.

“Is this what it’s like to be out with you?” I asked quietly.

Nathan looked in my direction, his eyes narrowing. “What?”

I leaned in a little closer so I could speak even softer. “The staring.”

Nathan looked to his left, where a group of women immediately blushed and giggled.